Hydrostatic bailer



Aug 17, 1937 w. A. LARsoN Er A1.- 2,090,055

HYDRQSTA'TIQ BAILER Filed Dec. 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 17, 1937. w. A. LARsoN Er AL HYDROSTATIC BAILER 2 sneet-sneet 2 Filed Dec. l5, 1936 Patented Aug. 17, 1'937 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE 2,090,055 HYDBOSTATIC BAILEB William A.

9 Claims.

relates to bailers, or well clean out tools, and more particularly to pressure type or hydrostatic bailers in which the underground pressure is utilized to fill the bailer with the material which is to be bailed.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a bailer of this type, the operating parts of which do not obstruct the passageway from the inlet end of the bailer into the load chamber, and which, because of this feature, will fill much faster than other bailers, will freely permit the entrance of large pieces of material and because of the higher speed of the entering fluid will -pick up a greater percentage of sand or other material at each loading.

Other objects of the invention are to provide improved means for retaining and replacing the frangible seal between the air chamber and the load chamber; to provide means for completely 20 shattering the frangible disc by pressure created together with additional me- This invention chanical means for pressure means fails, and which mechanical means will not obstruct the passageway between 2;, the air chamber and the load chamber, and will prevent parts of the broken disc from obstructing the passageway; to provide a bailer which has a greater effective passage area between the entrance chamber and the load chamber; to pro- 30 vide improved ,means for relieving the pressure within the bailer as it rises toward the earth's surface, which means is much less likely to become clogged than the relief means used on other bailers of this type; to provide a bailer so constructed that the shoe may be easily and quickly replaced by a different type shoe without the nethe entire bailer apart; to promeans for preventing underground pressure from 40 unseating the gasket on which said disc is seated; to provide a bailer so constructed as to eliminate the accidental breakage of the frangible sealing disc before the bailer is in operating position in the well; and to provide a construction which 4 greatly simplifies the emptying ofthe bailer after it is withdrawn, full, from a well; and which provides a greater effective passage area for emptying the bailer. 50 Other objects will be apparent to the reader of the following specification.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of the bailer complete:

55 Figure 2 is a side view of the sub or bailer head Larson and Harry T. Swortwood, I Oklahoma City,

Application December 15, 1936,

Okla. 1 Serial No. 115,903

(Cl. Mii-19) partially in section, 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a portion of the bailer, and is taken of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the device showing the manner of retaining the irangible disc in position, as well as the means for locking the upper and lower portions of the bailer together;

Figure 5 is a side view of the lower portion of the bailer partially in section to show the open position of the check valve after the frangible disc has been broken; and,

Figures 6, '1 and 8 are horizontal sections taken along the lines 6-6, 1-1, and 8--8 respectively illustrate respectively the manner of locking the upper and lower sections of the the manner of locking the plunger within the lower portion of the and the manner of limiting the movement oi the plunger within the casing.

Like characters oi reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight, material and other details of construction, within the scope of our invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broad principle of our invention and without sacriiicing any of the advantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawings are to be interpreted as being illustrative .and not restrictive.

Referring to the parts, the entire bailer housing is designated by the numeral II, and is comprised of a sub or bailer head l2, a central casing member I3, a coupling I4, a lock section I6, and a plunger section I6, all of the same exterior diameter.

The sub I2 carries suitable means I1 for attaching it .to a string of tubing or other means I8 for lowering the bailer into a well, and the lower end ofthe sub is secured to the section I3 (Fig. 2) by suitable means, as by a plurality of rivets I9. A relief valve is set into the body of the sub in a bore 20 which affords atmospheric communication with the bore 2i in the lower end of the sub I2. lThe relief valve is composed of a set member 22, a head with stem attached 23, and a plural winged guide member 24, into which the stem is centrally screwed. The weight of the head and the guide member normally holds the valve closed. Its oiiice will be he'reinbelow explained.

The coupling and is taken along the line side sectional view of the lower along line 3--3 Il is male at both ends, and is attached to the lower end oi' section I3 by means of threads (Fig..3). The lower end of coupling I4 is smooth and cylindrical, and is 25 to receive a skeleton cap 33. 'I'his cap serves to rmly hold a frangible disc 34 in position on the lower end of the coupling,s 'I'he disc 34 has an annular Vflange `3 5, the .outer surface of which serves to hold in position a resilient Vgasket 33,

disc, and gasket thus serve to complete an air tight load chamber 31 in the upper portion of the bailer. l

35 'I'he lower end of the lock section I5 (Fig. 3)

38 inside the bore of the plunger section I3, and the` bore of section I3 is abruptly reduced near the lower end to form 45 be hereinbelow explained.

A plurality of longitudinal slots 40, 4I and 42 (Figs. 7 and 8) are formed in the lower end o1' an additional internal shoulder 39. The oillce of these shoulders will limited longitudinal movement of the plunger into thesection.

To prevent between the plunger and section I6, thus serving' to wash out any sand particles otherwise lodge in t s space and prevent emcient operation of the device. The upper end of the plunger 43 carries a hinged one way gate valve 53, adapted to open only toward the load chamber 31, andis freely opened by upward pressure. The diameter of the valve 53 is slightly less than the diameter of the bore 2 in the lower end of 'the coupling I4, so that when within the bore of the section I5, considerable pressure in the confined space immediately below the frangible disc 34, as it is 30 to partially receive the central projection 54 (as in Fig. 5) formed on the'upper surface of the valve 53. 35

The lower end of the plunger 43 isin the form of a` hollow shoe 55, which has a plurality of side inlets 53 and 51 through its side walls.

enter the space immediately below the disc 34 55 however, through the valve 53. When uid i's encountered the tension of the spring 5I prethe tension oi' spring 5I. At this time :duid is, :"65

completes the shattering of disc projecting into the chamber to obstruct the passage of sand and liquid into the chamber. All this action is practically simultaneous, and with the breaking of the disc the fluid and sand rush past the valve 53 into the load chamber 31, which was at atmospheric pressure until the disc broke. The load chamber is filled almost immediately, the sand laden fluid entering through the central bore of the plunger as well as through the side inlets 56 and 51.

The bailer may then be withdrawn from the well. As it rises toward the earth the expansion inside the load chamber, due to the lessening of the pressure, is valve 23, which we prefer to construct suiiiciently large (as shown) that it cannot be easily clogged by sand, particles of rock, or other material.

After the bailer is withdrawn from the well, the screw plug 3| is unscrewed, the section I5 is partially rotated so that the lugs 28, 29 and 30 may pass out of the slots 25, 26 and 21, and the bailer is separated mitting the sand laden fluid load chamber.

The cap 33 is then unscrewed, the gasket removed and replaced on a new frangible disc 34, and the disc is secured in position on end oi the coupling I4, again sealing the lower end of the load chamber 31. The two parts of the bailer are again assembled in a manner evident from the above description, and the bailer is again ready to enter the hole.

We call attention particularly' to the unobstructed entrance to the load chamber after the frangible disc is broken, to the simple manner of completely emptying the load chamber and replacing the frangible disc, to the effioi positively sealing the lower end of the load chamber without possibility of the gasket being its seat by underground pressure, to the simple manner of replacing or substituting a plunger or shoe, to the unobstructed flow area of the passageway leading upward to the lower end' of the load chamber, and for preventing the accidental and breakage of the irangible disc when iiuid or any other obstruction suddenly creates a resistance to the downward travel of the bailer.

While we haveV described and illustrated a specific embodiment of our invention we are aware that numerous alterations and changes maybe made therein, and We do not Wish to be limited except by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A hydrostatic bailer comprising: a casing closed at one end; a removably positioned frangible member within the casing dividing its interior into two chambers; a hollow plunger in one of the chambers mounted for limited longitudinal movement therein, and of sufficient length to extend outside said casing when it is at the inner end o its limited movement; and a check valve mounted on the inner end of said plunger adapted to permit the passage of fluid into said casing and to prevent its passage outward therefrom.

2. Organization as described in claim 1, and spring means for retarding the rapid movement of the plunger into said casing.

Y through said 3. A hydrostatic casing member having one of its bailer comprising:

ends reduced in diameter and closed by a removably secured frangible member; av second casing member adapted to receive telescopicalkv the reduced `and closed end of said rst casing member; lugs and slots cooperatively carried respectively by the two casing members for locking the one end of one casing within the one end of the other; a hollow plunger mounted movement within the unobstructed portion of` the second casing member; and an inwardly opening check valve for controlling the ow of nuid plunger; said plunger adapted, when moved toward the closed end of said first casing, to create sumcient pressure to break said frangible member, thus opening a passageway from the interior oi said second casing to of the first casing.

4. In a hydrostatic bailer, a means of sealing the inner end of the load chamber casing comprising a irangible circular disc having an inwardly projecting annular concentric flange on one of its sides adapted to iit just inside the end of the casing, having an integral flat annular outer rim adjacent said flange adapted to seat on the end of said casing, and having an integral concavo-convex circular central portion; and an internally threaded disc holding member having a centrally projecting annular rim at one of its ends, said rim adapted to contact the rimof said frangible disc and' to hold it tightly against the end of said casing when the holder is screwed on 5. Organization as described in claim 4, and an annular resilient gasket for sealing the end of said casing and comprising: a casing closed at one end; a removably positioned frangible member within the casing dividing its interior into two chambers; a hollow plunger in one of the chambers mounted for limited longitudinal movement therein, and of suicient length to extend outside said casing when it is at the inner end of its limited movement; a check valve mounted on the inner end of said plunger adapted to permit the passage of uid into said and to prevent its passage outward therefrom; the casing above the frangible member.

'1. A hydrostatic bailer comprising: a casing closed at its upper end; a removable frangible disc within the casing for dividing its interior into two chambers; and a hollow for limited longitudinal movement within the open end of said casing, and having an inwardly opening check valve mounted on its inner end; said check valve adapted, when said plunger is at the inner end of its limited movement to shatter said frangible disc and enter the disc closed portion of said casing, opening nat against the side wall of said casing. y y

8. Organization as described in claim '1, and spring means for retarding the movement of said plunger toward said disc.

9. Organizationas described in claim '1,.and a relief valve through the wall of the casing above the frangible disc. v

IAM A. LARSON. HARRY T. SWORTWOOD.

a first the interior between 

